Are there Messalian Syneisakts in Gregory of

Nyssa’s De virginitate 23,4?

Liesbeth Van der Sypt

In this article I would like to draw attention to one of Gregory of Nyssa’s asceti-
cal and more practical writings, namely his De virginitate. In particular, I want
to contribute to the discussion which arose in the margin of the broad debate
about the precise relation between Gregory of Nyssa and the Messalians. This
discussion mainly focuses on Gregory’s use of the Epistula Magna of Pseudo-
Macarius in his De instituto Christiano, a discussion I will lay aside here.1 In the
context of this debate a new, smaller discussion about Gregory’s De virginitate
23,4 emerged. In this paragraph Gregory condemns ascetics

who practice celibacy in name, but who do not refrain from social life,
not only enjoying the pleasures of the stomach, but living openly with
women, calling such a living together ‘brotherhood,’ and thinking that
they are avoiding suspicion by this pious term. Because of them, this
revered and pure way of life is blasphemed by the outsiders.2

1 Some of the main works about this debate and the Messalians in general are: I. Hausherr,
“L’erreur fondamentale et la logique du Messalianisme”, OCP 1 (1935) 328–360; A. Guillaumont,
“Les messaliens”, EtCarm 31 (1952) 131–138; A. Kemmer, “Gregor von Nyssa und Ps.Makarius.
Der Messalianismus im Lichte östlicher Herzensmystik”, StAns 38 (1956) 268–282;
J. Gribomont, “Le monachisme au IVe s. en Asie Mineure. De Gangres au Messalianisme”,
StPatr 2 (1957) 400–415; J. Daniélou, “Grégoire de Nysse et le Messalianisme”, RSR 48 (1960)
119–134; J. Gribomont, “Le De Instituto Christiano et le Messalianisme de Grégoire de Nysse”,
StPatr 5 (1962) 312–322; H. Dörries, “Die Messalianer im Zeugnis ihrer Bestreiter. Zum
Problem des Enthusiasmus in der spätantiken Reichskirche”, Saeculum 21 (1970) 213–227;
R. Staats, “Messalianism and Antimessalianism in Gregory of Nyssa’s De virginitate”, PBR 2
(1983) 27–44; Id., Makarios-Symeon. Epistola Magna. Eine messalianische Mönchsregel und
ihre Umschrift in Gregors von Nyssa “De instituto christiano”, AAWG PH III 134, Göttingen
1984; Id., “Basilius als lebende Mönchsregel in Gregors von Nyssa ‘De Virginitate’”, VigChr 39
(1985) 228–255; C. Stewart, ‘Working the Earth of the Heart’. The Messalian Controversy in
History, Texts, and Language to AD 431, OTM, Oxford 1991; K. Fitschen, Messalianismus und
Antimessalianismus. Ein Beispiel ostkirchlicher Ketzergeschichte, FKDG 71, Göttingen 1998.
2 Translation from V. W. Callahan, Saint Gregory of Nyssa. Ascetical Works, FaCh 58, Washington,
DC 1967, 71. A critical edition of the Greek text can be found in M. Aubineau, Grégoire de Nysse.
Traité de la virginité, SC 119, Paris 1966, 538 and 540: . . ., καὶ πάλιν ἄλλους ἐκ διαμέτρου πρὸς τὸ
ἐναντίον ἀποστατήσαντας, οἱ μέχρις ὀνόματος τὴν ἀγαμίαν ἐπιτηδεύσαντες οὐδὲν διαφέρουσι τοῦ

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Are there Messalian Syneisakts 705

In what follows I will situate this passage in the context of the ascetical
practice generally known in modern scholarship as syneisaktism to help clari-
fying which ascetics Gregory had in mind here. Most scholars are convinced
Gregory’s De virginitate 23,4 is a reproach to the Messalians,3 an originally
ascetical movement which was condemned in the late fourth century for its
radicalism and a little later also for its theological points of view. Not all schol-
ars agree, however, that Gregory had (only) the Messalians in mind when he
wrote this passage of the De virginitate.4 By looking back to the origins of syn-
eisaktism, we will see that the practice already existed a long time before in
all layers of Christian society, which indicates that Gregory’s criticism in De
virginitate 23,4 was probably not directed to one specific group but more likely
intended to criticize a more general and more widespread misuse in asceticism.
But one could ask if in Cappadocia itself syneisaktism was practised by other
people besides the Messalians. For this reason, I will also look to contemporary
Cappadocian sources on syneisaktism. Primary attention will be given to Basil
of Caesarea’s Epistula 55, to Gregory of Nazianzus’ Epigrammata and Carmina
moralia, and to Pseudo-Basil’s De vera virginitatis integritate, Gregory of Nyssa’s
assumed source of inspiration. Thereafter, I will also discuss Epiphanius, the
only contemporary of Gregory of Nyssa who wrote an extensive account on
Messalianism. Following an investigation of the history of syneisaktism and of
writings of Gregory of Nyssa’s contemporaries I hope to answer the question
in the title: did Gregory have Messalian syneisakts in mind when he wrote De
virginitate 23,4?

I A Short History of Syneisaktism

Before turning to the history of syneisaktism it is good to first explain what

I understand by the word. Syneisaktism is a little investigated ascetical

κοινοῦ βίου, οὐ μόνον τῇ γαστρὶ τὰ πρὸς ἡδονὴν χαριζόμενοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναιξὶ κατὰ τὸ φανερὸν
συνοικοῦντες καὶ ἀδελφότητα τὴν τοιαύτην συμβίωσιν ὀνομάζοντες, ὡς δὴ πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον ὑπόνοιαν
ὀνόματι σεμνοτέρῳ περικαλύπροντες· δι’ὧν καὶ σφόδρα τὸ σεμνὸν τοῦτο καὶ καθαρὸν ἐπιτήδευμα
βλασφημεῖται παρὰ τῶν ἔξωθεν.
3 J. Stiglmayr, “Die Schrift des hl. Gregor von Nyssa ‘Ueber die Jungfräulichkeit’”, ZAM 2
(1927) 334–359; 358; J. Daniélou, “Grégoire de Nysse et le Messalianisme”, 128; M. Aubineau,
Grégoire de Nysse. Traité de la virginité, 539–541; H. Dörries, “Die Messalianer im Zeugnis ihrer
Bestreiter”, 216–217; R. Staats, “Messalianism and Antimessalianism”, 38–39; Id., Makarios-
Symeon. Epistola Magna, 32; Id., “Basilius als lebende Mönchsregel”, 232–233.
4 M. D. Hart, “Gregory of Nyssa’s Ironic Praise of the Celibate Life”, HeyJ 33 (1992) 1–19, 16, n. 11;
K. Fitschen, Messalianismus und Antimessalianismus, 100–102.